President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday visited the central Israeli city of Lod, where he met with members of the Religious Zionist 'Garin Torani' )Torah seed group community). The visit was part of Rivlin's “traveling Presidential Sukkah” program, in which he plans to visit communities around the country.
The Religious Zionist Torah seed group community was started several years ago by families who were concerned over the lack of Jewish and religious life in a major city in central Israel. Lod is a “mixed” Arab and Jewish city, and many Jews in the city have in recent years complained that they are being harassed by Arabs, who are seeking to drive them out of town.
On Sunday, Rivlin set up his Sukkah in a park in the heart of the religious community in Lod. Hundreds of residents came to greet the president, with local community organizations sharing their accomplishments and concerns with him.
Benny Printz, head of the Garin Torani community, discussed the community's accomplishments and needs, and concerns over a lack of educational resources in the city. After the discussion, Rivlin said that the members of the community “who have come to Lod from around Israel, are the pioneers of this generation.”
Rivlin also met with residents, speaking with children about their needs and concerns. He also helped them make decorations for his Sukkah, which he promised he would display in his Sukkah in Jerusalem.
After the visit, Printz said that “when I was a child I thought Zionism was a thing of the past, but now I realize that Zionism means going to live where one is needed. We run kindergartens and schools for all the Jewish kids here, not just for those from the Garin community. We bought homes and are living here with the objective of doing as much as we can for Lod.
“This, as far as I am concerned, is real Zionism, and the encouragement we got today from the President of Israel provides us with the fuel we need to continue with this important work,” Printz added.